


The Key

by douchecasters



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/douchecasters/pseuds/douchecasters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis forgets his girlfriend's birthday and has to scrap up an idea in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Key

I started that Wednesday morning the way I usually do. I rolled out of bed around eight and brewed my morning tea with, putting my milk in first like always, and leaned against the counter as I sipped it. My phone started to ring and I pulled it out and smiled slightly when I saw who was calling.

“Well, hello there,” I sang into the phone, “I’m surprised you’re awake right now.”

“Well, I am making Rachel some breakfast in bed,” Lauren responded.

“Why are you doing that? You never cook. You can’t even cook toast,” I smirked.

“First of all, I’m getting better at it. Second of all, I figured it would be nice of me to make her breakfast for once today.” What was so important about today? “Oh, by the way, what are we doing tonight? Or are you taking her out by yourself?”

“Why would I be taking her out tonight?”

“Louis,” Lauren sighed through the phone, “today’s the 12th.” Oh shit.

“Shit! I didn’t mean to forget I swear! It’s just with the new album and the song recordings and that interview last Monday-”

“Lou! Calm down,” she hissed.

“I’m dead,” I mumbled.

“You would be but I’m about to save your sorry ass. I’ll stall her with a nice breakfast and we’ll watch her favorite movie and then we’ll go out to lunch. Then, you better be ready. She won’t be up til’ like eleven so that’s giving you about seven hours to get things done.”

“You were gonna take her out to lunch  _and_ buy her lunch?”

“I wasn’t going to, but now I have to help you,” she sounded really annoyed.

“Thanks Lauren! Could you text me when she wakes up?”

“Of course,” she sighed.

“You’re the best, Laur!”

“I know I am.” And with that the line went dead. Alright, things for Rachel’s birthday; I need to get things for Rachel’s birthday.

I grabbed the keys to my car and drove to the first flower shop I could find.

“Good Morning Sir! What can I get for you?” the clerk asked with a smile on his face.

“Can I get a dozen…” what the hell kind of flowers did she want? Oh wait, she hates flowers damn it. I mean I love the girl but why can’t she be just a bit normal sometime?

“Actually you know what? Never mind, you’re of no use to me. Sorry,” I waved my hand bye as I sprinted out the door.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number as fast as possible.

“Hello?”

“Okay, here’s the thing, I appreciate you stalling and everything, but I don’t really know what to do.”

“Louis,” Lauren groaned.

“I’m sorry but you already took care of the breakfast and the lunch and the movie. What am I supposed to do?”

“Remember her birthday,” Lauren said and I could hear her smug smile through the phone.

“That’s my job to be sassy. Shut up.”

“Go get her a gift and make reservations at The Ivy and then make sure to buy condoms. But take it to your place because I don’t need all of that going on when I’m trying to sleep.”

“Okay…what kind of gift do I get her?”

“I’m not telling you. You need to do some shit on your own.”

“Language,” I smiled.

“Do you want me to help you or not?”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“Just make sure it’s something sentimental, but not to sappy. It has to be something that shows you listen.”

“Thanks.” And the line went dead again. That girl needs to learn how to say bye every now and then.

I decided to take a ride around town hoping to get some inspiration as to what to get her.  _Not too sappy but sentimental_ I thought over and over again in my head.  _Something that shows I listen._  I drove by a small cottage on the side of the road with a long front lawn in front of it. At the end, by the street were a For Sale sign, and the inspiration to Rachel’s gift. I quickly made a U-turn and pulled into their driveway. I rang the doorbell to their house and waited. A small yelp started sounding from the house, sounded like a small dog, and footsteps racing down the stairs. When the door opened, I was greeted by a man who looked to be in his forties. He had a plain blue shirt on and tan khakis with barely any hair on his head.

“Hello, can I help you?”

“Um, yes, actually you can. Is it in good condition?” I asked him gesturing towards her gift.

“Yeah, I just bought it last weekend for my ungrateful son,” he said annunciating the  _ungrateful_ part with rage.

“Okee, well I would like to purchase it off of you,” I said pulling my wallet from my back pocket.

“Who’s at the door dad?” a girl’s voice asked as she approached the door. the girl who looked to be about nine or ten stopped dead in her tracks as she stared blankly at me.

“Hi! OMG you are Louis Tomlinson!”

“Really? I thought I was Bob Smith,” I laughed extending my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Hi! I’m Miranda. Wait right here!” she shouted running down the hallway.

“Who are you?” the dad asked me with a confused look on his face.

“Duh dad! He’s from One Direction!” she squealed running down the hallway with a large piece of cardboard in her arms. “Will you sign this?” she asked me sweetly. Turns out it was a cardboard cutout of Niall so I thought about signing right above his penis. But I didn’t for two reasons. 1) That dad standing next to me wouldn’t sell me anything and he looked pretty big and 2) that’s Lauren’s property. So I signed on his shoulder and the girl was shooed away to her room.

“Anyway,” the man said, “I was thinking maybe around five thousand. But if it’s too much I would be willing to negotiate.”

“No, that’s fine, I’ll take it.”

“You can write the check out to-” but he paused and smiled grimly at the five thousand dollars in cash I held out to him. “That works too. Here ya go,” he said reaching in a drawer and pulling out a key. It was small and had a black rubber square on the end that you didn’t use to start the engine. “If you have any questions, my number is on that sign out there. Have a nice tome with it.” And with that he slammed the door shut. He was quite a cranky man. No matter, I got what I came here for. But how to get it home was the question. I pulled my phone from my pocket.

“I was sleeping this better be important,” he said in a grungy voice through the phone.

“Z, it’s noon.”

“It’s also my day off.”

“It’s also Rachel’s birthday and I need you to come pick up her present for me with your pick up.”

“Dude, I’m going back to bed,” he whined.

“Zayn, please? I totally forgot and I need it to be really good. All you have to do is drive it out to my flat and then you can go home and sleep.”

“For Christ’s sake,” he mumbled under his breath. “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

“Thanks man!”

I gave him the address to the house and hung up. I sat there waiting for him to get there. It took him about a half hour before he pulled into the man’s driveway with his old pick up.

“Thank you, Z.” I said helping him load it into the bed.

“Whatever, let’s just get this thing back to your place so I can go home and sleep.” At first he sounded pissed but he smiled at me as he got in the driver’s seat and I smiled back. I hopped back in my car and he followed me home.

—

I knocked on Rachel’s door around six thirty. I had everything set up. I would take her to my place give her the present, eat dinner, and then hopefully I get lucky.

She opened the door and smiled at me. Man, she looked hot. Too bad she had to change out of that extravagant dress.

“Hi, love,” I said smiling at her.

“Hi, why aren’t you dressed?” she asked gesturing towards my jeans and t shirt.

“Okay, look I know I said the Ivy, but I’m going to be honest and tell you I sort of forgot what today was your birthday. And I know that’s a really dicky thing to do and I am so sorry but I love you Rach and I spent all day running around and getting everything perfect. But then, they canceled my dinner reservations. But we can go wherever you want.” She smiles and puts her hands on my shoulder and presses her lips against mine.

“How about McDonalds?” she asks with a wicked smile. I smile at her and kiss her again, resting my hand on the small of her back and holding her close.

“I love you, Rach.”

“I love you, too, Louis.”

—

We got our McDonalds and I drove back to my flat and we ate in peace in the living room. She talked about her lunch with Lauren and how the lesbian waiter was trying to hit on Lauren and Lauren laughed so hard her lemonade came out of her nose.

“I did get you a present you know.”

“Oh did you now?”

“I did, would you like me to give it to you now?”

“I don’t see why not.” I helped her to her feet from off the floor and we walked hand in hand to the backyard.

“Happy Birthday!” I shouted pulling the sheet off of her golf cart. Rachel always talked about how she wanted a golf cart and I figured it would be not too sappy yet it shows I listen to her.

“Hell yeah!” she laughed hopping into the front seat.

“You might want the key.” I said pulling the key ring from my pocket and tossing it to her. She clasped it between her fingers then looked at it in confusion.

“There’s two different keys on here. Which one is the golf cart?” she asked.

“The black one”

“What’s this one for then?” she asked admiring the golden key next to the black key.

“Well, that’s the key to my flat,” I said barely loud enough for her to hear. She looked at me with those big blue eyes that take my breath away.

“Louis,” she smiled at me. I figured it was a nice gift now. That was the sentimental part of the gift.

“I love you, Rachel. I really do.” she kissed me and smiled into it and I felt the world melt away around me.

“I love you too,” she whispered. And you know what? I did get lucky that night.


End file.
